ALTHOUGH it was a couple of hurdles short of the ultimate goal, the Australian Opals have snagged a podium finish in the 2023 FIBA Women’s Asia World Cup.

Following a pair of disappointing losses to Japan and China in the final few days of the fixture, the Aussies matched up with their neighbours across the Tasman in the bronze medal game on Sunday, looking to finish their campaign on a high. The Tall Ferns had shown glimpses of dominant play throughout the tournament, so Australia would still need to bring its best in order to bring home a medal.

The Aussies looked the better side from the opening quarter, coming out with a hunger and high level of execution that was slightly missing in the team’s two losses. The two sides traded baskets to start the match, with New Zealand looking to slow down the home side’s explosive scoring that has served them so well in their wins. However, Australia was able to break the shackles late in the term, conjuring some crucial baskets and taking an eight-point lead into the first change.

The Tall Ferns were able to keep things from getting out of hand in the second term thanks to some handy work on the defensive end. New Zealand rotated nicely to cover the open player and looked to deny the Aussies any open looks. However, its downfall was an inability to convert down the other end, and actually ended up trailing by 11 at half-time.

Despite the Opals still holding a 10-point lead in the third quarter, the Tall Ferns were still in the game, staying within striking distance of the opposition on the scoreboard. However, the Aussies put the foot down to close out the period, firing on both ends to stretch their lead out to 18 points heading into the final period.

Although New Zealand managed to stop the bleeding in the the final period in comparison the end of the third, but the scoreboard deficit was too much to overcome. The Opals managed to sneak ahead even further thanks to some gritty offence and stingy defence on the Tall Ferns, claiming a 22-point win in Sydney.

The Aussies were well-served by a host of players, with none shining brighter than Tess Madgen, who delivered a true leader’s performance for the Opals on the big stage. She finished the match with 14 points and five assists, controlling the offence magnificently in the process. Alice Kunek top scored with 19 points thanks to a trio of three-pointers, while Darcee Garbin (13 points), Anneli Maley (11 points and 11 rebounds) and Keely Froling (10 points) all played crucial roles.

For the Tall Ferns, Penina Davidson tried hard all day, looking to conjure some much-needed offence for New Zealand. She finished the match with 19 points on an accurate 7/10 shooting from the field.